HC Deb 21 January 1958 vol 580 c874
22. Mr. Willis

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will arrange for estimates to be made of the cost of bringing into operation of the Legal Aid and Solicitors (Scotland) Act, 1949.

Mr. N. Macpherson

The current Exchequer grant for legal aid in civil proceedings alone in Scotland is £155,000. We have not enough information on which to base a reliable estimate of the cost of the other services covered by the Act, but as regards legal aid in criminal cases, a Committee is now reviewing the relative provisions.

Mr. Willis

As this information is apparently to be made available in England and Wales, why cannot it be made available in Scotland?

Mr. Macpherson

I have no information about the position in England and Wales, but our feeling is that in Scotland any such estimate regarding legal aid would be of the nature of an intelligent guess.